1

DALY CITY BART STATION ACCESS PLAN December 2002

Contents…

‰ Plan Summary ‰ Access Plan Development ‰ Current and Future Conditions ‰ Opportunities and Constraints ‰ Access Recommendations

Bay Area Rapid Transit Planning Department I. PLAN SUMMARY

A. Existing Conditions

The Daly City BART Station is located at the border of and San Mateo Counties. It is unique in the West Bay in that it offers the high level of BART train service of the San Francisco stations (four lines) along with the commuter parking typical of suburban stations. The opening of the BART extension to the San Francisco International Airport and Millbrae in early 2003 is not expected to reduce patronage at Daly City BART over the long term. In fact, ridership is expected to continue to grow slowly over the next two decades. Should Daly City become the only West Bay station to offer free commuter parking, the attraction could be considerably greater.

The station area is comprised mainly of residential neighborhoods, with some retail, office, and a cinema within walking distance. Interstate 280 divides the station area, offering easy auto access, but creating a barrier to walking and biking from the north and west. In fact, the share of commuters biking to is among the lowest in the BART system. The station is served by both SamTrans and Muni buses and has a sizable transit mode split. A majority of patrons, however, drive to the station. Parking demand still outstrips supply, meaning that the parking lots fills early in the morning.

Daly City Station is used mainly by workers commuting to downtown San Francisco. However, the station also serves some major destinations in San Francisco and San Mateo Counties, including San Francisco State University, , and recently built Pacific Plaza office and retail development.

B. Recommendations

The following are key recommendations for improving access to the Daly City Station. A more comprehensive inventory of recommendations is included at the end of this report. x Install new sidewalks in critical locations to improve pedestrian access and safety. Study pedestrian movements in other key locations to determine the feasibility and configuration of new sidewalks, crosswalks, and pedestrian signals. x Encourage the cities of San Francisco and Daly City to expand the network of Class I and Class II bike paths connecting to the BART station. x In addition to the reserved parking program, implement a daily charge for all parking stalls consistent with policies at other San Mateo County stations. x Encourage a collaboration between Muni, SamTrans and Daly City to extend the Muni’s 14 Mission line to the BART station. x Add real time information for drivers and transit riders, including “predictive arrival” displays for bus connections as well as parking space availability displays.

BART Planning Department2 December 2002 II. ACCESS PLAN DEVELOPMENT

A. Background

The 1999 (BART) District Strategic Plan called for improvements to station access by all modes through the promotion of alternatives to driving alone, and by linking station access with other key strategic goals. In May 2000, the BART Board adopted the “Access Management and Improvement Policy Framework” which focuses on:

x Enhancing customer satisfaction;

x Increasing ridership by enhancing access to the BART system;

x Creating access programs in partnership with communities; and

x Managing access programs and parking assets in an efficient, productive, environmentally sensitive and equitable manner.

In accordance with these goals, the BART Board directed staff to prepare a series Access Plans for stations throughout the BART system. Twelve such plans were completed in September 2002. Recently, the Board requested a completed Access Plan for Daly City by December 2002. All Access Plans may be adjusted over time due to changing conditions, policies and programs.

B. Purpose

Access Plans are intended to improve the appeal and quality of access to BART stations, especially by modes other than driving alone. They examine and prioritize station access improvements, which can include physical enhancements, new programs, or policy changes. A key goal of the Plans is to ensure that access planning for BART stations considers and helps to guide other capital investments, such as those that promote station area development and increase station capacity. Another goal is to aid the achievement of BART’s access targets.

The proposed access targets, in the Access Management and Improvement Policy Framework, include a reduction in the share of morning peak patrons who drive alone to BART with corresponding increases in the share of walk, bicycle, transit, carpool, passenger drop off and taxi trips. The proposed targets shift the solo driver share from 38 percent in 1998, to 33 percent in 2005, to 31 percent in 2010. Table 1 outlines both 2005 and 2010 targets.

Station-specific targets have not been estimated in the Access Plans. Access recommendations proposing to influence travel behavior are still unproven, and the effectiveness of Access Plans projects would need to be monitored following their implementation. This will inform the development of future station-specific mode split targets that are more reliable and meaningful.

While focusing primarily on home-based morning trips to stations, these Plans may also address station access at all times of day and are expected to benefit all types of trips to and from BART.

BART Planning Department3 December 2002 Table 1: Systemwide Mode Share Targets (AM Peak)*

Mode 1998 Mode 2005 Targets 2010 Targets Share Walk 23.0% 24.0% 24.5%

Bike 2.0% 2.5% 3.0%

Transit 21.0% 21.5% 22.0%

Drop-off, Carpool, Taxi 16.0% 19.0% 19.5%

Drive Alone 38.0% 33.0% 31.0%

*Targets do not include new ridership to be generated by the SFO extension. Data Source Analysis prepared by R. Willson, Ph.D., AICP, Transportation Consultant, 2001

C. Process

The development of this Station Access Plan began with a systematic information gathering effort. It included a review of patron data such as ridership trends and projections, rider demographics, and mode split, as well as station area characteristics such as land use and neighborhood demographics. It also involved an examination of the existing plans and pending improvements of both BART and other local stakeholders, including:

Review of Local and Regional Plans x Daly City General Plan x BART CIP and SRTP x San Francisco Bicycle Plan x Draft San Francisco Countywide Transportation Plan x Muni “X” Plan x SamTrans Bus Service Changes for SFO Extension

The next step involved an assessment of the current access opportunities and constraints at each station. An “Open House” workshop on October 29, 2002 was held to elicit community and agency input. Prior to this Open House, several other meetings were held with BART staff, community groups, and agencies in both Daly City and San Francisco listed below.

Input from BART Departments and Partner Agencies x BART (Customer Access, Station Area Working Group) x City of San Francisco Department of Parking and Traffic x San Francisco County Transportation Authority x Muni x SamTrans x Daly City Planning & Zoning

BART Planning Department4 December 2002 x Daly City Economic and Community Development x Daly City Public Works / Engineering x Caltrans

Other Stakeholder Outreach x Daly City BART patrons x Daly City Council of Homeowners & Residents Association x San Mateo County League of Women Voters x CCAG Bike & Pedestrian Task Force x BART Accessibility Task Force x BART Bicycle Advisory Committee x Peninsula Pedestrian and Bicycle Coalition x San Francisco Bike Coalition x Daly City and San Francisco station area residents

III. CURRENT CONDITIONS

A. Station Setting

The Daly City BART station opened in 1973, along with the rest of the 7.5 mile, 8-station San Francisco line. It served as the end of the line station in the West Bay until 1996, when the Colma BART station was opened. Located at the San Mateo County-San Francisco boundary, the station draws riders from both jurisdictions. Daly City BART offers four lines of train service like San Francisco stations, but also provides commuter parking like San Mateo County stations. It is served by both Muni and SamTrans buses. Map 1: Station Area Situated on the northwestern side of the , the climate at the Daly City Station is cool and foggy much of the year, often with strong prevailing westerly winds.

The station area is bisected by Interstate 280, near its merge with Highway 1. The highway runs along the western and northern edge of the station, separating it from areas to the west and north, and limiting access to two bridges that cross it: St. Charles Avenue and John Daly Boulevard.

To the west of the station are Source: Thomas Bros Maps single-family detached residential subdivisions such as the Westlake and Broadmoor neighborhoods, with some enclaves of multi- family apartments. There are also large swaths of open space including several golf courses, Lake Merced, and recreation areas around the Lake. The 620,000 s.f. Westlake Shopping Center is located about one mile west of the BART station along John Daly Blvd.

BART Planning Department5 December 2002 The neighborhood to the east and south of the station is known as “Original Daly City” and is an older and denser residential area with attached residential units and some apartments. In addition to residential uses, the area includes the recently constructed Pacific Plaza less than ¼ mile south of the station along Junipero Serra Blvd. This city-led redevelopment project includes 41,000 s.f. of retail space, about 350,000 s.f. of Class A office space, a 20 screen movie theatre, and a multi-story parking garage. To the east, less than ½ mile from the station is the “Top of the Hill” area, a historic retail stretch along .

To the north of the station across I-280 is the Oceanview- Merced-Ingleside neighborhood of San Francisco. This area is mainly comprised of older, attached single family residences with some retail and apartments, including the recently constructed Oceanview Village with 370 units and a supermarket. Also in San Francisco, less than a mile of the station are the self-contained neighborhood of Park Merced and the campus of San Francisco State University.

B. Future Development

Although Phase I and Phase II of the Pacific Plaza development have been completed, a third Phase is planned. This is to include an additional 270,000 sq. ft. of office space and a 200+ room hotel located directly south of BART’s parking lot along Junipero Serra Blvd.

In addition, the city has plans for a mixed-use development on the “landmark site”, a 1+acre parcel located in the “Top of the Hill” area at the intersection of Mission Street and Hillside Blvd. This is expected to include office, retail and medium density housing.

Closer to the station, BART has slated a small (12,600 sq. ft.) and vacant parcel it owns on the eastern side of Delong St. for development into housing units, complementing the existing residential block. In the station plaza itself, just outside the faregates, BART is planning to remove several large, sloping concrete mounds which serve no real structural purpose. In the space that will be created BART will construct an employee break room. It will also allow the establishment of a new private retail concession store, known as “All Aboard”. The store will provide an amenity to BART riders and also brighten the dark station plaza. It is important, however, that the location of the store not interfere with customers lining up to use the faregates.

C. Community and Rider Demographics

Ridership

The Daly City Station is a relatively busy one, currently ranking 10th out of 39 stations in average weekday entries/exits based on FY03, 1st quarter data. In the mid 1980’s Daly City was actually the 5th busiest in the BART system, with more riders than downtown Oakland and Berkeley. The station saw a dip in 1986 of over 15%, however, when many riders switched to the following a BART fare increase in order to use Muni Fast Passes as their fare medium.

BART Planning Department6 December 2002 Then, from 1996 to 1997, Daly City BART lost over 30% of its riders when the Colma BART station opened and became the new end of the line in the West Bay. Since 1997 ridership has rebounded and grown by nearly 20%.

BART projections show that Daly City is not likely to lose many riders when the SFO extension opens in 2003, and in fact is expected to continue to grow by about 13% over the next decade. In the future, the extension of BART to San Jose is not expected to generate significant new riders at the Daly City Station according to data provided by VTA.

Most of the entries at Daly City occur in the a.m. peak with patrons using the station as their home origin point. Riders entering at Daly City are most likely headed for downtown San Francisco. In fact, nearly 80% of a.m. peak patrons are bound for the four downtown Market Street stations.

The Daly City station, however, does serve some key destinations including San Francisco State University, the new Pacific Plaza, and Seton Medical Center, the largest employer in Daly City. It ranks 20th out of 39 stations as an a.m. destination during the morning peak hours.

Some patrons, who might otherwise enter the Daly City Station in the a.m., go to Balboa Park instead in order to take advantage of their Muni Fast Pass on BART. The low cost Fast Pass allows unlimited BART trips within San Francisco, and Balboa Park is the first station north of Daly City and the southern-most station within the Fast Pass system. This behavior has led to concerns about parking impacts in the Balboa Park Station area.

As a result, BART and Muni offer a unique free round-trip Muni transfer from the Daly City Station as an incentive for nearby San Francisco residents to use it rather than Balboa Park. BART also offers a few dozen parking stalls for San Francisco residents to encourage the use of Daly City station. Despite these measures, however, the Balboa Park parking concerns remain.

In the fall of 2002, the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA) studied the potential benefits and impacts of extending the Fast Pass to Daly City BART as a means of addressing these concerns. The study found that this extension could induce more BART riders to use Daly City, particularly those who live within walking distance of the station but now choose to use Balboa Park. However, the study also found that Daly City BART has no additional capacity to absorb new riders who drive to the station, and that the Fast Pass extension would present financial penalties to BART, Muni and SamTrans. Recommendations in the study include better parking management and improvements in transit fare coordination and Muni service, which are also reflected in BART’s Comprehensive Station Plan at Balboa Park.

Demographics

The population of the census tracts surrounding the Daly City BART Station are not expected to increase dramatically in the near future. In fact, ABAG projections show only a 4% increase between now and the Year 2020. Job growth in these tracts, however, is expected to increase by a somewhat more robust 17% over the same period.

BART Planning Department7 December 2002 Although the population is not growing rapidly, the station area’s demographics are changing. The 2000 census shows that Daly City has the largest Asian population share outside of Honolulu, at 54%. Additionally, near one-third of residents are Filipino, a greater share than any city outside of the Phillipines. BART ridership figures reflect this demography with 45% of riders at Daly City BART identifying themselves as Asian in 1998. Other ethnic groups are also represented at the station in rough proportion to their population share.

Riders at this station are generally more affluent that at many San Francisco, Oakland and inner East Bay stations, and less affluent on average than those at outer suburban stations such as Walnut Creek or Dublin- Pleasanton. The vast majority of those using the station are going to work (81%), rather than using BART for other trip purposes. At 14%, a relatively small number of households within a mile radius are without a car. This transit dependency rate is similar to Glen Park and Balboa Park and other core suburban station like Hayward and San Leandro. Finally, like many other BART stations, Daly City’s patrons are disproportionately female (62%).

D. Mode Split

The following graphic shows the modes used by riders to get from their homes to the Daly City BART station. These are riders who use the station as their home entry point. For comparison, BART’s system-wide station access mode splits are shown in parentheses ().

Daly City Mode Split

Dropoff 13% avg. (11%) Drive Alone Taxi 0.5% 46% avg. (0.1%) avg. (38%)

Transit 17% avg. (21%)

Bike 0.5% avg. (2%)

Walk 12% avg. (23%) Carpool 10% avg. (5%)

BART Planning Department8 December 2002 Nearly half of the patrons who travel from home to the station get there by driving alone. The relative abundance of parking (just over 2000 spaces) at the Daly City Station makes this possible. The station also has a significant number of drop-offs and a fairly high carpool mode split.

When compared with other stations in the BART system, however, Daly City is not unusually auto-oriented. It has a far lower auto mode split that most Contra Costa stations and is comparable to older suburban “core” stations such as San Leandro or North Berkeley.

Daly City Station is served by both Muni and SamTrans, and has a relatively high transit access mode split of 17%. The bulk of these trips are made on SamTrans, although Muni does offer a unique free round-trip transfer to and from this station. The walk share at 13% is significant, although it’s lower than other stations (Balboa Park, Glen Park) with similar residential densities and characteristics. Bike access at 0.5% is among the lowest in the system.

IV. OPPORTUNITY AND CONSTRAINTS

Altogether, access to the Daly City BART Station is fairly multi-modal when compared to other BART stations. Relatively rich local transit service and a medium density surrounding residential neighborhood contributes to this balance.

Certain conditions, however, may be limiting the appeal of alternative modes of station access, particularly for bikes and pedestrians. A detailed description of the opportunities for improving access by each mode follows below.

A. Walk

The defining feature of the station environment and the chief liability for pedestrians is the presence of I-280, which acts as both a physical and psychological barrier to the neighborhoods north and west of the station. Presently there are only two ways across I-280 to the station: the St. Charles Bridge, which crosses to the north (and to San Francisco), and the John Daly Bridge, which links to the west.

The St. Charles Bridge is the chief gateway into San Francisco. It is used by pedestrians as well as BART parkers who use the 217-space lot across I-280 from the station. At present, there is only one sidewalk, on the northern side of the bridge.

Since the parking lot and the station are both on the southern side of the bridge, most customers must either cross the street twice or walk along an edge with no sidewalk. The latter is dangerous given that the bridge has sharp curves at either end and used by cars, shuttles and Muni buses. The absence of a grade-separated walking path and the inadequate street lighting (two lights along the entire path, one on each end of the street) limit the sense of safety and security for pedestrians.

BART Planning Department9 December 2002 In response to complaints about this issue, Caltrans has plans to construct a sidewalk on the southern edge. Construction is expected to begin in the summer of 2003. BART should encourage the addition of improved lighting to enhance the safety, security, visibility, and aesthetics of this gateway into Daly City BART.

Getting to and from San Francisco from the station is also complicated by the absence of a sidewalk at the northeastern corner of BART’s parking garage. There is a sidewalk that runs partly along the garage edge, but it simply ends. The many and varied shoe tracks in the sand are evidence of heavy pedestrian use. This will be a short but critical gap in the station’s sidewalk network once the Caltrans sidewalk on the St. Charles bridge is completed. Consequently, BART should encourage Caltrans to extend their sidwalk project further into the station to link with the existing sidewalk. This area also lacks adequate lighting for pedestrians, including those walking to two different BART surface parking lots.

At the other end of the St. Charles Bridge, a BART wayfinding sign greets patrons approaching the station by directing them into to BART’s auxillary parking lot across 280, rather than toward the station itself. This could be confusing to new customers who are looking for the actual station. To clarify, the wayfinding sign should direct patrons across the bridge toward the station while another sign that reads “BART Parking” lets them know about the BART parking lot. This change would benefit those accessing the station by a variety of modes.

In the San Francisco station area neighborhoods, the pedestrian environment is generally good with one exception: there is no continuous, ADA-complying sidewalk along Niantic to get to Oceanview Village. Pedestrians heading for BART from this high-density, new development must walk into the street around telephone poles and streetlights in the very narrow (less than three feet wide) off-street path.

Within the neighborhoods to the east and south, known as “Original Daly City”, the pedestrian environment is generally good with a grid street pattern and sidewalks. Getting to these neighborhoods from the station can be challenging, however, due to the complicated, confusing and unpleasant BART station exits and to the limited number of at-grade crosswalks on John Daly Boulevard.

To get to the east, pedestrians have two primary options. One is the overpass over the bus intermodal, which requires walking up stairs, passing through an uninvitingly utilitarian overpass lined with chainlink fences and then walking through or around a parking lot which has no designated pedestrian route.

The second option is to leave the station via the lone sidewalk on the east side of the bus exit. The only access to that sidewalk is in the bus bay area. Patrons walking from the faregates toward John Daly Blvd. find no sidewalk on their side (the west side) of the bus exit, and also lack a crosswalk to get over to the east side, forcing them to

BART Planning Department10 December 2002 backtrack or jaywalk in front of buses. The sidewalk itself is narrow, sandwiched between the bus exit and a high, blank concrete wall in the bus intermodal area.

A pedestrian who wants to cross John Daly Boulevard to get south has only two options: to head toward a crosswalk several hundred feet uphill to the east, via one of the routes previously described, or to go through the BART tunnel which runs beneath John Daly Boulevard. Uninitiated patrons do not immediate know that a tunnel exists, where it goes, or how to find its entrance, given the lack of wayfinding signage, and a lack of distinctiveness about the tunnel entry itself.

Even those who are aware of the tunnel, however, often avoid it. Many patrons simply jaywalk across John Daly Boulevard at several locations, minimizing the distance between the station and most destinations to the east, west and south, sometime carving a shortcut in BART’s landscaping. The City has responded to this jaywalking danger by constructing high and long iron fences in the John Daly Boulevard median and installing “no ped crossing” signs at the most inviting cross points.

Walking to the west of the station is also challenging. There is only one sidewalk on the southern side of the John Daly Bridge, even though the BART station is on the north. Those who want to connect with somewhere west of I-280 but north of John Daly must cross Junipero Serra, I-280, and John Daly Boulevard twice. They must also use the BART tunnel.

Crossing John Daly Blvd. west of 280 is not easy either. For the residents of Westlake Village, (situated north of John Daly Blvd. and west of 280) the closest crosswalk is on the west side of Sheffield Dr. which forces backtracking and encourages jaywalking in front of a freeway offramp. Shortcuts between the Westlake apartments on the south side of John Daly, near the sidewalk, are discouraged by fences and the uncontrolled southbound on-ramp to I-280.

Finally, a deficiency that affects all modes of access is the general lack of strong station identification signage. BART entrance signs include only BART’s logo and not the name of the station. In the words of a 2001 Booz, Allen & Hamilton signage study for BART, “station identification on the street level is often difficult to locate and identify.” The study also notes that “BART takes a very understated approach to its identity”, and that “a strong identity system can help to create a sense of place”

Key strategies for increasing the number of patrons accessing BART on foot include: x Studying pedestrian circulation in the area with the City of Daly City and Caltrans, particularly around John Daly Boulevard and the freeway ramps, for means of removing barriers and giving higher priority to pedestrians seeking direct connections to BART. x Installing new sidewalks, signals and crosswalks where needed to provide safer and more direct access from the station. x “Calming” auto traffic where it comes in conflict with existing pedestrian circulation. x Improving signage and orientation between the station and key area destinations.

BART Planning Department11 December 2002 B. Bike

Very few patrons ride their bikes to the Daly City Station. Consequently, its is tied with three other stations for the second lowest bike mode split in the BART System (Colma has the lowest). As a result of the low bike access, bike racks tend to be relatively empty. In mid 2002, they were measured to be at an extremely low 2% of capacity.

Bike lockers, which are often require getting on to a long wait list at other stations, are available here in large quantity. Currently only 9 of 20 lockers are being rented. Partly as a result of this low bike mode split, the recently completed BART Bicycle Access and Parking Plan ranked the growth potential for bikes at Daly City as “low”.

There are some inherent difficulties in biking to this station that include the presence of the highway, narrow residential streets, the foggy and windy climate, and some hills. However, a primary barrier may be the absence of dedicated bike lanes in the station vicinity, meaning that cyclists must mix with road traffic. The official bike routes in the area include St. Charles Ave, Mission Road, and John Daly Blvd, though none have dedicated lanes.

Another barrier may be the lack of at-grade crossings on John Daly Blvd. which means that cyclists must often use the BART tunnel. Riding in two elevators at either end of the tunnel can be time consuming, while taking the stairs at both ends is a physical challenge. Some cyclists simply cross the street illegally posing a danger to both themselves and vehicular traffic. Another at-grade crossing would not only greatly benefit pedestrians, but bicyclists as well.

Given that bike parking at the station tends to be underutilized, a major expansion of the capacity of bike lockers and racks is not a pressing priority at this station. However, relocating racks and lockers to a better location could make bike access more convenient. The space being created by the removal of concrete mounds in the plaza area could provide an excellent site for bike parking, making it more visible and secure. Additionally, lighting in the plaza area could not only brighten the unpleasantly dark space, but help to both secure and draw attention to bike parking.

An important strategy for improving access to the Daly City Station by bike is collaboration with local governments and bike users to increase the number of safe bike routes to the station.

At present, Daly City is engaged in an effort to create a bikeway path along John Daly Blvd. between the station area and Skyline Blvd. This could improve bike access from areas to the west of the station. Another opportunity to improve access is on St. Charles Avenue. This road and bridge over I-280 links the BART station to the existing bike route network in San Francisco. Both the street and bridge may be wide enough for a striped path.

BART Planning Department12 December 2002 Key strategies for increasing bike access to the station include: x Encouraging the expansion and improvement of the San Francisco and Daly City bicycle network, in particular on St. Charles. x Increasing the number of at-grade pedestrian crosswalks on John Daly Blvd. x Developing a BART brochure to promote bike access for use at all stations.

C. Transit

The Daly City BART station is served by both Muni and SamTrans buses being located near the boundary of each operator’s service area. There are two Muni routes that serve the station, the 28 and the 54. The SamTrans routes include the local routes 110, 120, and 121 as well as the long distance route 390 which terminates at Daly City after running up the El Camino Real from Redwood City. In addition to being a transfer point between buses and BART, the Daly City bus intermodal is also used a transfer point by those going from one bus route to another. The routes that serve the station are described in the table below:

Table 2: Public Transit Routes to/from Daly City BART

Route Description Peak Off-Peak Hours of Frequency Frequency Operation SamTrans

110 To west Daly City and Pacifica 30 min 60 min 6:35AM - 10:40PM

120 To west Daly City, Colma BART 10 min 20 min 5:24AM - 10:13PM and Crocker in S.F. 121 To Skyline College – 15 min 30 min 6:41AM - 9:29PM Lowell/Hanover 130 To South San Francisco via 20 min 30 min 6:10AM - 10:45PM Hillside, El Camino and Grand 193 To SF Airport and Stonestown 60 min 60 min 6:15AM - 7:14PM

390 To Redwood City via El Camino 20 min 30 min 6:00AM - 10:04PM Real SamTrans Shuttle Program

Seton To Daly City Civic Center and 10 a.m. trips n.a. 5:50 AM – 9:00 AM Seton Medical Center 10 p.m. trips 3:16 PM – 7:00 PM Bayhill To Bayhill area office buildings 5 a.m. trips n.a. 6:49 AM – 8:15 AM including the Gap 5 p.m. trips 4:52 PM – 6:15 PM F.C. To employment centers in Foster 2 a.m. trips n.a. 6:30 AM – 8:00 AM City 2 p.m. trips 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM Muni 28 To Presidio via 19th Ave. 7 min 12 min 5:23AM - 12:23AM 54 To Hunter’s Point via Ingleside 22 min 22 min 5:53AM - 12:57PM and Excelsior

BART Planning Department13 December 2002 Upon the opening of the BART SFO extension, SamTrans will eliminate Route 193. This service, which now links Daly City BART to the Airport, will become duplicative once BART train service opens in the same corridor.

SamTrans also serves Daly City BART with three shuttles that involve partnerships with local employers. This service, part of a peninsula-wide SamTrans shuttle program, has been a highly successful boon to BART riders. SamTrans anticipates relocating at least two and maybe all three of these Daly City shuttle routes to new BART stations farther south once they open. These relocations may reduce shuttle travel times and lower shuttle operating costs. However, some patrons could have to travel longer distances on BART to connect with their shuttle in the a.m., and may also have less frequent train service at BART stations south of Daly City.

Muni’s long range “X” Plan calls for a BRT system along 19th Ave, currently served by the Route 28 series buses. This BRT could potentially be replaced with light rail in the future. The “X” Plan also calls for an extension of the 14 Mission series to Daly City BART and envisions it being replaced with a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in the future, and possibly a light rail system in the more distant future.

Muni’s 14 Mission series bus routes form a major transit spine that runs along Mission Street from downtown San Francisco to the “top of the hill” area in Daly City, terminating about ½ mile away from the Daly City BART station. Currently, the only opportunities for BART patrons to make a direct connection to the 14 Mission are at the 16th and 24th Street BART Stations in the Mission District of San Francisco.

Despite the intent expressed in long range plan, there are several obstacles that must be overcome before the 14 Mission could be extended. First, such a change would create operational complexities for Muni, including additional operating costs and line haul capacity issues.

Secondly, the city of Daly City has expressed concerns about potential unsightly wires along John Daly Boulevard that would be required for the electrified trolley bus to be extended. Also, there is an overall lack of additional layover space for buses in the Daly City BART station area. Finally, any additional peak hour bus service feeding the Daly City BART bus intermodal could require an expansion of that facility.

Despite these challenges, however, an extension of the 14 Mission would benefit both BART and Muni riders by closing an important gap. BART should partner with Muni, SamTrans and the City of Daly City to explore the potential for an extension as well as the possibility of a future re- design of the bus intermodal. A redesign could expand capacity, tie-in pedestrian improvements and could be implemented in conjunction with joint development of the John Daly / Delong St. parking lot.

In addition to having capacity constraints, the bus intermodal area is currently not a terribly

BART Planning Department14 December 2002 pleasant place to catch a bus. Any redesign of the area should consider the Daly City’s windy and foggy climate and give special attention to customer comfort. It should also aim to create a better lit and more aesthetically pleasing space.

In the interim there are some ways to improve the BART to bus experience. Real-time information about bus connections in the intermodal area would be a great benefit to riders. Muni is now embarking on a project to outfit their fleet with “Next Bus” automatic vehicle location technology along with predictive arrival displays at some bus stops. While they intend to begin with the , light rail vehicles, and cable cars, they hope to expand this technology to all bus routes subject to available funds.

To aid seamless connections between different regional transit operators, Muni should prioritize adding “Next Bus” to those routes that connect to BART and offer digital displays in the stations. Daly City is an especially good place for this type of improvement since its also a transfer point between Muni and SamTrans. SamTrans is exploring the use of similar predictive arrival displays at the . Should such a pilot project be successful, this type of information could be expanded to all BART stations, including Daly City. Along similar lines, information about arriving BART trains could also be made available in the intermodal area for the benefit of both riders and bus drivers.

Another improvement for transit riding customers would be to add visibility and increase publicity for the free Muni round trip transfer that is now available to BART patrons in the station. Many BART customers are unaware of this transfer incentive.

Key strategies for increasing station access by transit include: x Studying a Muni 14 Mission series extension to the Daly City BART with other local partners x Studying bus intermodal expansion with other local partners x Incorporating “real-time” predictive arrival information for both Muni and Samtrans buses x Publicizing the existing free Muni transfer

D. Auto

Despite the fact that there are just over 2000 parking spaces at Daly City BART, the demand to use those spaces is so strong that all BART lots at the station have been full by approximately 7:30 a.m. in recent years. With the recent implementation of the reserved parking program system-wide, free spaces in the lot have been filling even earlier.

This heavy demand makes the station the 6th earliest to fill up in the morning out of a total of 28 stations with available parking. New reserved parking permits for Daly City BART have also outsold all other stations at the time of this writing.

BART Planning Department15 December 2002 Current BART ridership projections show that demand to use the Daly City Station is not expected to decline in the years following the opening of the BART SFO extension. In fact, ridership is expected to increase very slightly at the station each year over the next two decades. As a result, any slack in the parking demand that could occur immediately after the new extension opens may be short lived. Thus, the demand for parking will likely continue to be strong over the long term.

In addition, there will new incentives that could make the Daly City BART station even more attractive to customers who may now use other stations. Upon the opening of the SFO extension, BART will institute daily parking charges at other San Mateo County Station: Colma, South San Francisco, San Bruno and Millbrae. Consequently, some patrons who now drive to Colma are likely to shift to Daly City instead, in the absence of charges at Daly City.

One option to alleviate the tight parking situation at Daly City is to expand the supply of parking either by acquiring new surface lots or by intensifying existing surface lots by adding new parking structures. There are, however, few opportunities in the station area for the acquisition of property. In addition, existing surface lots tend to be small, oddly shaped, or sit beneath BART’s tracks and are therefore not ideal sites for the development of new parking structures.

The best opportunities for expanding the number of parking spaces at the station is likely through shared parking arrangements with other entities, such as Pacific Plaza, or through future joint development projects in the station area, such as the Delong Street lot.

Another approach to dealing with the parking situation is through better management of parking demand. Recently, BART initiated a new reserved parking program at Daly City and throughout the BART system. In up to 25% of spaces at a station, guaranteed spaces are available to customers who subscribe and pay a monthly fee. Given the strong demand for this service at Daly City so far, the amount of parking dedicated to this program could be expanded to 40% consistent with plans for other San Mateo County stations.

In addition to a reserved parking program, BART should also implement daily charges on the remaining stalls at this station consistent with its policies at other San Mateo County stations. As with these stations, the appropriate initial charge should be $2 daily, to maintain simplicity and reduce customer confusion. In the future, rates at each of these stations, including Daly City could be adjusted if necessary. Should a significant percentage of spaces become vacant after the charge is instituted, BART would have the ability to lower the charge accordingly. Given the intense parking demand, however, the parking lot will likely continue to be full each day, albeit perhaps at a later time in the morning. Thus, added revenue from parking charges does not have to result in a ridership tradeoff for BART.

An enhancement to BART’s parking program would be the integration of real-time information for customers. Digital displays, now common at parking facilities worldwide, could let customers know whether parking is available and where its located. This would add convenience for BART patrons who could reduce their time spent circulating in search of a space. This could also ease congestion in BART’s parking lots as well as the emissions produced in BART lots. This would be especially appropriate at Daly City, given the large number of spaces and the strong demand for parking

BART Planning Department16 December 2002 Another smart parking technology involves the use of digital display on nearby roadways to inform customers about parking availability at the station. Again, this could add convenience and alleviate frustration for BART riders. At Daly City, these displays could be located on I-280 for customers headed north. BART staff have already had conversations with Caltrans about pursuing such a system.

Key strategies for improving access by automobile include: x Expanding the share of reserved parking stalls to 40% of all spaces. x Including Daly City in the West Bay Parking Program, with a daily charge for all stalls. x Exploring the implementation of “smart parking” technologies to enhance customer convenience

E. Drop Off (including Taxi & Paratransit)

A significant number of riders at Daly City BART are dropped off at the station (12.7%) and the capacity for this type of access is high. However, some customers unfamiliar with the station confuse the drop-off area with the bus intermodal area. In addition many do not realize that local shuttles pick-up in the drop-off area and not in the bus intermodal. Better signage to distinguish the two areas near the faregates could clarify the situation.

Taxis generally do not use the drop-off area, but instead wait on the curb and in a small parking lot just to the south of the faregates near the station exit. Station signage could also clarify this to customers, some of whom attempt to catch cabs in the drop-off area before noticing the taxi stand.

Key strategies for vehicle drop-offs include: x Installing clear and bold signs inside, or just outside, the station to guide BART customers to connecting transit – buses, taxis and the shuttle / drop-off area respectively.

V. ACCESS PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS

Table 3 and Map 2 detail the full list of access recommendations, although these have not been prioritized based on any set criteria. Their effectiveness will be monitored and in turn will inform future access plan prioritization. All access improvements should be designed to accommodate people with disabilities.

BART Planning Department17 December 2002 Table 3: Access Improvement Recommendations

Mode Recommendation - Map Reference # S/M/L Lead Funding Tier and Source Term

WALK St. Charles St. W1: St. Charles Bridge South Sidewalk: Support Caltrans in S Caltrans Tier 1: Caltrans and Bridge installing new sidewalk along south side of St. Charles Bridge to BART Sidewalk funded improve the pedestrian connection from the station to San Francisco City of SF and BART's surface parking lot.

W2: Close Sidewalk Gap in BART Station: S BART Tier 2: Caltrans / BART Extend Caltrans sidewalk on south side of St. Charles bridge to provide Caltrans ADA-complying connection to existing, truncated sidewalk near the northeastern corner of BART's parking structure. Include wayfinding, landscaping and lighting.

W3: New Sidewalk on Niantic to Oceanview Village: S San Francisco Tier 2: San Francisco Create an unobstructed, ADA-complying sidewalk along either side of Niantic Ave. to link the St. Charles Bridge with Oceanview Village

W4: Better Lighting on St. Charles Bridge: S Caltrans Tier 1: Caltrans Install two to four decorative street lamps along each side of City of SF the St. Charles Bridge to improve the visibility, aesthetics, safety and security of this gateway into the BART station.

W5: Re-orient Wayfinding Signage: S BART Tier 2: BART Redesign BART wayfinding signage to guide patrons to the station itself and not parking lots. Wayfinding signage for BART parking lots should read "BART Parking". John Daly W6: John Daly Boulevard to Westlake Pedestrian Study: M-L Daly City Tier 2: Daly City, Caltrans, BART Boulevard: Develop two-part "Safe Routes to Transit" pedestrian study Caltrans south and of John Daly Blvd. corridor between BART station and Westlake BART west of station Village. Study jaywalking patterns & barriers to identify possible treatments (new signals, crosswalks, sidewalks, steps) to facilitate safe pedestrian travel in area now dominated by auto traffic. (*) The East Part includes pedestrian circulation from station to intersection with Junipero Serra (above tunnel). (**) The West Part would accommodate pedestrians wanting to cross the freeway ramps and use north side of Bridge to reach Westlake area north of John Daly Blvd. and east of freeway.

W7: John Daly Blvd. at BART Busway Exit: M Daly City Tier 2: Daly City, BART Install a signal & crosswalk across John Daly Blvd. linking the western BART edge of the BART busway exit to the sidewalk on the southside of John Daly Blvd. near the intersection of Niantic Ave.

* W8: Stairs to John Daly Blvd (at station): L BART Tier 3: TBD If recommended in study (W6), install stairs between new sidewalk Daly City along the south edge of the BART station and new sidewalk along Caltrans the north edge of John Daly Blvd.

Connecting to W9: John Daly Blvd west of I-280: M Daly City Tier 2: Daly City Westlake Install a ped signal and crosswalk across John Daly Blvd. at the east side of the Sheffield Drive intersection to shorten walk to BART from residential areas north of John Daly Blvd. and west of I-280.

W10: Stairs to John Daly Blvd (southwest): M Westlake Vill. Tier 3: Daly City, Caltrans Install private stairs between apartments at Westlake Village west of Daly City I-280 to the south side of John Daly Blvd. for resident shortcut to BART

** W11: Stairs to John Daly Blvd (west): M-L Westlake Vill. Tier 3: Daly City, Caltrans If recommended in study (W6), install stairs between residential enclave Daly City of Westlake Village north of John Daly Blvd., west of 280, to new sidewalk and calmed offramp Pacific Plaza W12: Pacific Plaza Wayfinding: S BART Tier 2: TBD connection Collaborate with Pacific Plaza to install a wayfinding sign Pacific Plaza on BART property directing patrons to Pacific Plaza via the BART tunnel to reduce confusion. (*) Could be removed with implementation of improvements recommended in study (W6).

W13: Improve Maintenance of BART Tunnel: S BART Tier 2: TBD Develop public/private agreement to improve maintenance of BART Pacific Plaza tunnel and reduce litter and debris. (*) Project may require other collaboration if recommendations for alternative pedestrian path are implemented following study (W6).

Toward Top of W14: Parking Lot Path: M BART Tier 2: BART The Hill (east Create an unobstructed pedestrian path bisecting BART's parking lot of station) from the bus intermodal overpass to the De Long sidewalk along the along the eastern edge of the parking lot

W15: Landscaping in John Daly Median: S Daly City Tier 2: Daly City Add trees to John Daly Blvd. and "side" street medians to strengthen visual corridor and buffer residences along this key gateway that links I-280, BART and "Top of the Hill".

W16: Reduce Turning Radius (De Long Parking Lot Entry): M Daly City Tier 2: Daly City Reduce turning radius and extend sidewalk at De Long and at BART entrance to station parking lot to slow speed of cars and buses turning into (or exiting from) station area to facilitate safe pedestrian travel up and across John Daly Boulevard. BIKE Key Access B1: St. Charles Ave: M Caltrans, Tier 2: San Francisco DPT, Routes Create a striped bike lane on St. Charles Ave. to improve bike access City of SF Daly City between the station and San Francisco neighborhoods. Daly City

B2: John Daly Blvd to Skyline Bike Route: S Daly City Tier 1: Daly City Implement the Daly City bikeway project on John Daly Blvd. to Skyline Blvd.

B3: John Daly Boulevard Bike Crossing: M Daly City Tier 3: TBD Improve bike access to BART station from the south and west by BART allowing bikes to make street-level crossing of John Daly Blvd. (related to W6)

Parking B4: New or Relocated Racks/Lockers: M BART Tier 2: BART Add new or relocated bike parking in plaza area where concrete mounds have been removed. Incorporate art elements and lighting.

Information B5: Free Brochure: M BART Tier 2: BART Develop a brochure that illustrates the regional bike network and connections to BART TRANSIT Muni/SamTrans T1: Bus Intermodal Expansion/Enhancement: L BART Tier 3: BART leads planning Intermodal Redevelop bus intermodal area to accommodate future bus needs Daly City Daly City RDA, Muni, SamTrans designed to serve Muni, SamTrans & shuttles, to enhance waiting area, Sam Trans and to improve pedestrian circulation through area to east/south Muni (includes sidewalks, shelters, bike access, lighting and landscaping)

Muni T2: 14 Mission Extension: L Muni Tier 3: Muni Extend service from terminal of the 14 Mission Bus Route to the BART Station consistent with Muni's long range "X" Plan, while addressing and satisfying the concerns of a variety of public agencies.

SamTrans T3: Trunkline Transit Improvements: M SamTrans Tier 1: SamTrans Implement SamTrans recommendation to discontinue duplicative Route 193 when extension to Millbrae and SFIA via BART opens.

Transfer Info T4: Publicize Free Muni Transfer: S Muni Tier 1: Muni for both Muni Market free Muni transfer at Daly City BART to potential riders. BART and SamTrans T5: Install Bus "Predictive Arrival" Displays: M Muni Tier 2: Muni, SamTrans Prioritize BART feeder routes in Muni's "Next Bus" expansion. Samtrans If successful at Millbrae, expand SamTrans predictive arrival system BART to Daly City BART.

T6: Display BART "Real-Time" Information: M BART Tier 2: BART, Muni Install real time displays of BART train service in the station and Muni in the bus intermodal area.

Shuttle Service T7: SamTrans Shuttle Service Plan: S SamTrans Tier 2: SamTrans Evaluate and monitor changes to shuttles serving Daly City BART to ensure convenience for BART riders using Daly City Station while achieving efficiency and directness of on-street shuttle routes. VEHICULAR Parking V1: Price Parking to Manage Demand: S BART Tier 1: BART Increase morning parking availability and convenience by initiating a $2 daily charge for all parking stalls. Provide monthly pass options consistent with parking policies at the other San Mateo County stations

V2: Expand Reserved Parking: S BART Tier 1: BART Increase the number of spaces available for reserved parking permit holders from a maximum of 25% of stalls to a maximum of 40% of stalls, based on the current strong demand for permits and for consistency with other West Bay BART station policies.

V3: Identify New Parking Opportunities: M BART Tier 2: BART, Daly City Work with Daly City, San Francisco and adjacent property owners to Daly City City of S.F. identify opportunities for joint use & improved efficiency of existing City of S.F. parking facilities to meet new parking demand, including the use of on-street parking & private facilities.

V4: "Smart Parking" Highway Information: M Caltrans Tier 2: Caltrans, BART Provide "real time" parking garage capacity information at key BART highway junctions to alert drivers to the availability of parking at Daly City and Colma garages in time for them to make choices prior to leaving highway.

V5: Real Time Parking Information Display: M BART Tier 2: BART Provide information at parking garage entrances that identifies location and availability of parking throughout structure on "real time" basis.

V6: Protect Residential Parking: S-M Daly City Tier 2: Daly City, City of S.F. Provide and expand residential permit parking programs to minimize City of S.F. BART parking spillover issues. Consider use of on-street parking BART revenues to help fund & enforce permit program. ALL MODES Exterior A1: Station Identification: M BART Tier 2: BART Signage Install prominent and distinctive signage at the station entrance with station name, consistent with systemwide plans to "landmark" stations and to improve orientation in and around the station area.

Information A2: New Maps: S BART Tier 2: BART Update the station area maps inside the station and include local transit connections to key destinations. WALK Daly City BART Station Area W1: St. Charles Bridge Sidewalk W2: Sidewalk Link to BART Access Recommendations W3: Niantic Sidewalk W4: St. Charles Bridge Lighting W5: Wayfinding Clarfication W6: John Daly Ped Study W7: John Daly Crossing W8: Stairs to John Daly Sidewalk W9: John Daly Crossing / west W3 W10: Stairs to John Daly (sw) W1, W4, W5, B1 W11: Stairs to John Daly (w) W12: Wayfinding W13: Tunnel Maintenance W12, B4, T1, T5, T6, V1, V2, V5 W14: Parking Lot Path W2 W15: Landscaping W16: Reduce Turning Radius

W6, W8, W13 T2 BIKE W14 B1: St. Charles Ave. W15 B2: John Daly Bike Path W11 B3: John Daly Crossing B4: Relocated Racks/Lockers W9 B2 TRANSIT W10 V6 W7, W16, B3 T1: Bus Intermodal Expansion T2: Muni 14 Mission Extension T5, T6: Real Time Information

AUTO V4 V1, V2: Parking Pricing N V4: “Smart Parking” Info V5: Real-Time Parking Displays V6: Protect Residential Parking

Pedestrian Bike Transit Future Existing Routes Network Development BART Line